Yahoo Sports says the Chuck Liddell/Wanderlei Silva fight will not happen on September 22nd. UFC Junkie Finds White’s claims peculiar. Let me state one thing perfectly clear – both Dann Stupp and Kevin Iole are good writers. They’re guys who do not screw around. I suspect Dana White is going to become a hot topic on the next edition of Fight Opinion Radio.

Just a thought – is Chuck/Silva going to end up being the American equivalent of Sakuraba/Tamura, a dream fight that people will continue to talk about forever but will never see the light of day?

What can I say about Frank Trigg and Chris Rose doing commentary w/ Layla Kayleigh for “The Best Damn Toughman” show on Fox Sports Net last night? The fact that Rose deadpanned a hard sell for a tournament winner earning $1,000 USD says it all. That was one scary Oklahoma audience at the Toughman event.

The IFL stock is current at $0.74 USD/share. Update: The low so far today was $0.60 USD/share.

Our good friend Yeo Jong-Hoon pointed out a story in the South Korean media (links here and here) claiming that current WBC World Featherweight champion Chi In-Jin will be coming to K-1 MAX soon. Money is the big reason.

Does anyone know if The Fight Network has a functioning RSS feed for their news updates? I’d also be curious if anyone can figure out if there a consistently functioning RSS feed for Fight Network Radio shows (the one they currently use breaks down from time to time).

59 Responses to “Thursday trash talk: Trigg and Toughman”

I am NOT saying it’s okay to run freakshow bouts in MMA because of its association with professional wrestling. I am saying it is okay to run freakshow bouts in MMA when the demand for the bout is there, just as it is in professional wrestling. Both MMA and pro wrestling are forms of entertainment. If fans demand a bout, it will happen, because fans are the reason these institutions exist.

You’re equating pro wrestling and MMA, however. Pro wrestling builds matches that it wants to happen by booking storylines and the finishes of matches to get the outcome they desire. MMA does not do this. They certainly do “hype” for events that may be prewritten, but the bouts themselves are not. They are why the fans watch, not because they want to see Chuck Liddell ride on a zamboni to the octagon, or in the hopes that Brandon Vera will do a run in and break the proverbial glass ceiling. Saying that the market will decide such factors is ridiculous. The market can decide certain facets, but in the end, unlike Japan, combat sports in this country are privy to the approval/disapproval of state atheltic commissions, both for amateur and professional fights. And it is for that reason that you will almost certainly never see fights like a Fedor/Zulu be approved under any circumstances.

It is both the close relationship with pro wrestling and the general attitude taken towards pro wrestling culturally that made so many of the bouts in PRIDE and K-1 possible. The UFC does not have either and likely never will. They are cognizant of their place, and I find it very unlikely that they’re about to test any athletic commission with their matchmaking in a desperate attempt to make a few bucks with a strategy they’ve not yet really bothered to employ.

It should be conditionally noted that this is only true in a seriously regulated state and not Oklahoma, Tennessee, etc. where paying the licensing fee is the only ‘real’ regulation going on.

The ability to make money and recieve media exposure also happens to dive straight into the ground going to places like that. Tyson/Lewis was a success in spite of its location in Memphis, but that could have sold 15,000 tickets in Greenland if they held it there, and it was hardly a “freakshow attraction”. I don’t see any such fight existing now or on the horizon that would do that kind of draw or those sort of numbers, short of Bruce Lee coming back from the dead with a 3rd degree Gracie black belt and a ADCC unlimited weight class win.

It used to be so funny to see people on sherdog go crazy after some of the Pride Booking. People would be so mad at Pride for bringing shame on the sport etc. It didnt matter what the Japanese fans wanted to see, putting bums on seats and getting huge ratings was not good enough.

Buentello/Tank?
Cesar/Frank?
Tito/Ken?
The aforementioned Gannon/Lee?
Johnny Morton?
Wasn’t there some football player dude that had a stroke or some shit?
Innumerable smaller shows?

Fedor/Zulu might have not gotten approved. Might not have. But only because it was so high-profile. You do recall the torrent of bullshitting and posturing on the part of Armando Garcia that followed Cesar Gracie’s forgettable loss to Mr. Frank Shamrock, right?

And if you don’t think the market decided whether or not Tito would fight Ken 18 times, you’re out of your mind.

Why would any of them have not been approved? The best argument would be against the third fight, but certainly not the first fight.

The aforementioned Gannon/Lee?

Gannon’s amateur experience.

Johnny Morton?

Maybe if he was fighting the 7 foot korean. Instead, he fought Bernard Ackah under exhibition rules.

Wasn’t there some football player dude that had a stroke or some shit?

???

Innumerable smaller shows?

Which ones? The ones running outside major commission states or in indian reservations? I’m sure the UFC would love to go to Soboba. Real step up for them.

Fedor/Zulu might have not gotten approved. Might not have. But only because it was so high-profile. You do recall the torrent of bullshitting and posturing on the part of Armando Garcia that followed Cesar Gracie’s forgettable loss to Mr. Frank Shamrock, right?

It would high profile because its the world champion against a guy with no verifiable record. A guy who’s 1-0 but really good beating a buy down who’s 0-2 but isn’t that well trained is not exactly what we’re talking about.

And if you don’t think the market decided whether or not Tito would fight Ken 18 times, you’re out of your mind.

The UFC were the ones who decided to do the rematch and put it on TUF. Before then, who was calling for the fight other than Tito back at a PPV that almost no one saw in comparison? The 3rd fight was only done because the second fight was a huge draw and ended in disappointing and dissatisfying fashion to everyone watching. But hey, its really because he thought Takayama/Frye was entertaining. Oh, and PRO WRESTLING.

Now you’re just being obstinate for the sake of being obstinate. I don’t mind debate, but this is turning into a pissing contest, and I’m out of Mountain Dew. I clearly am not going to convince you of the entertainment aspect of MMA, or of the paralells between Pro Wrestling and MMA. You have done well, Internet Warrior.

Thanks, boss. I think everyone gets the entertainment aspect of MMA. It seems, however, that people coming from a pro wrestling background clearly ignore the sport aspect of it too: “Why do they have so many decisions?,” “They should just get rid of the Unified Rules,” etc.